Eliana Willis

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  • 150 Shares54 Views

    in Information Technology

    Spotify goes down: What we know, plus our favorite alternatives to try

    Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIf your Spotify is having issues, you’re not alone. Thousands of people are reporting problems with the music streaming app.Earlier this morning, social media was flooded with frustrated comments as users began reporting issues with streaming music on the popular service. For some, the app would load, but songs wouldn’t play. For others, the app wouldn’t load at all. The issue seems to be affecting every version of Spotify, including the app, the web player, and the desktop app. Spotify is investigatingSpotify confirmed the issue just before 9am ET, writing on X, “We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!” The Spotify support page later explained, “We’re seeing reports from users that the app isn’t loading properly or that they’re experiencing playback issues. Others report that they’re having issues accessing the Support site.” Also: Are you an aspiring independent author? Spotify wants to buy your short-form audiobookReports on DownDetector.com spiked at the same time, reaching around 50,000 reports just before 10am. Outage reports were on the decline by 11am, but that could be because users are either tired of reporting the problem or no longer feel the need to. The company hasn’t explained what caused the issue or when it expects to restore service. By 10:30am, speculation was swirling that the issue was the result of a hack, but SpotifyStatus on X says that’s not true. With more than 675 million users, Spotify is the world’s most popular music streaming app. More

  • 188 Shares71 Views

    in Robotics

    Need to relax? This new iPhone feature does the trick for me – here’s how

    Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETOne of my favorite features in iOS 18.4 is Ambient Music. Here, you can add and access four different music tracks with gentle and calming sounds. Depending on the mood you want to achieve, you can choose from among four categories of music: Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.Also: What’s new in iOS 18.4? AI priority notifications and 9 other big updatesI often listen to one of the four default songs as I meditate, typically Sleep or Chill. But there’s even more behind the scenes. Delve deeper into Ambient Music, and you’ll discover other songs beyond the default ones. That means you can choose your preferred music for each type of mood. Here’s how this all works.How to use Ambient Music on iPhoneWhat you need: You don’t need a special iPhone for this to work as long as it’s outfitted with iOS 18.4. Nor do you need an Apple Music subscription to listen to the default songs or choose a different song for each of the four categories. However, if you are a subscriber, you can also pick a playlist from your own music library. More

  • 225 Shares104 Views

    in Robotics

    Can your phone last 10 years? Back Market and iFixit want to make it happen – here’s how

    Westend61/Getty Images The Trump administration’s indecision over implementing tariffs has caused market turmoil, panic buying, and price increases across the tech market. While some companies appear to have won a break from the White House for tariffs on consumer electronics, this situation won’t last forever. So, could secondhand tech be a solution to exorbitant prices?  […] More

  • 188 Shares87 Views

    in Robotics

    6 hidden Android features every user should know – and how they make life easier

    Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images I’ve been using Android since version 1.5, so it’s not often that a feature catches me off guard. You can imagine that when I do come across an unfamiliar Android feature, it’s an exciting moment. For more casual (or newer) users of Google’s mobile operating system, there are probably […] More

  • 238 Shares104 Views

    in Robotics

    This soundbar has some of the best audio I’ve ever heard, but there’s one thing I can’t get over

    <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Platin Monaco 5.2.1 speaker system is available on Amazon for $1,000. With a simple setup and well-defined sound, the Monaco is ideal for entertainment streaming and small spaces. The Monaco’s subwoofer lacks power, and the system requires a phone app as the remote. –> Last year, the JBL Bar 1000 […] More

  • 200 Shares71 Views

    in Robotics

    Why data literacy is essential – and elusive – for business leaders in the AI age

    gremlin/Getty Images Fewer than half of business leaders say their data strategies — how data is collected, managed, stored, and accessed — are completely aligned with their business priorities.  That’s according to a 2025 Salesforce survey of more than 550 US senior business leaders of companies with at least 500 employees across multiple industries. The […] More